20 words you're probably misusing

People tend to use actually to stress their opinion as in "'Never Been Kissed' is actually the best rom-com ever made." But it should be used to express a fact that's surprising or unexpected.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Adverse

The common mix up is interchanging "adverse" and "averse." Adverse is used to describe something bad or harmful like an "adverse reaction." Without the d, the word means against.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Cliché

Cliché is often used as adjective, which is incorrect. A person, place or thing can't be described as cliché because it's actually a noun.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Complement

Don't go fishing for complements because you'd be using the word wrong. Spelled with an e instead of an i in the middle, it means to complete or make perfect.

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Decimate

You've probably heard decimate used in the context of something getting destroyed. Put that out of your mind. The true definition is to reduce something by one tenth.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Disinterested

Telling someone you're disinterested doesn't mean you don't care. In that case, you'd say uninterested. Disinterested means you don't have a stake or claim in the matter at all.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Effect

The simplest way to remember this one is that effect is a noun (ex: a special effect). Affect is the verb.

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Enormity

Enormity doesn't mean huge or enormous. It means extremely evil.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Except

Except and accept are often switched up. With an ex the word means excluding.

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Farther

Farther and further is tricky. Further is used to convey a degree of an action or a situation, whereas farther is used in relation to distance. You travel farther, but you have nothing further to discuss.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Fewer

This one might be the most confusing of the bunch. The difference between fewer and less is that fewer should refer to individual items (like fewer shirts in a drawer). Less is used to describe the amount or volume of something.

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Hone

You've probably heard or used the expression hone in to mean getting to the point of an argument or finding a location. That's incorrect. Hone means to sharpen.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Hung

An object is hung on a wall. A person gets hanged.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Inflammable

Inflammable doesn't mean something is not flammable. It's a synonym for flammable meaning easily set on fire.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

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Literally

This is a popular one. Literally should be used when the words that follow truly happened. If you literally died reading that, you would be dead.

People tend to use actually to stress their opinion as in "'Never Been Kissed' is actually the best rom-com ever made." But it should be used to express a fact that's surprising or unexpected.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Adverse

The common mix up is interchanging "adverse" and "averse." Adverse is used to describe something bad or harmful like an "adverse reaction." Without the d, the word means against.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Cliché

Cliché is often used as adjective, which is incorrect. A person, place or thing can't be described as cliché because it's actually a noun.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Complement

Don't go fishing for complements because you'd be using the word wrong. Spelled with an e instead of an i in the middle, it means to complete or make perfect.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Decimate

You've probably heard decimate used in the context of something getting destroyed. Put that out of your mind. The true definition is to reduce something by one tenth.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Disinterested

Telling someone you're disinterested doesn't mean you don't care. In that case, you'd say uninterested. Disinterested means you don't have a stake or claim in the matter at all.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Effect

The simplest way to remember this one is that effect is a noun (ex: a special effect). Affect is the verb.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Enormity

Enormity doesn't mean huge or enormous. It means extremely evil.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Except

Except and accept are often switched up. With an ex the word means excluding.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Farther

Farther and further is tricky. Further is used to convey a degree of an action or a situation, whereas farther is used in relation to distance. You travel farther, but you have nothing further to discuss.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Fewer

This one might be the most confusing of the bunch. The difference between fewer and less is that fewer should refer to individual items (like fewer shirts in a drawer). Less is used to describe the amount or volume of something.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Hone

You've probably heard or used the expression hone in to mean getting to the point of an argument or finding a location. That's incorrect. Hone means to sharpen.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Hung

An object is hung on a wall. A person gets hanged.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Inflammable

Inflammable doesn't mean something is not flammable. It's a synonym for flammable meaning easily set on fire.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Literally

This is a popular one. Literally should be used when the words that follow truly happened. If you literally died reading that, you would be dead.

People tend to use actually to stress their opinion as in "'Never Been Kissed' is actually the best rom-com ever made." But it should be used to express a fact that's surprising or unexpected.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Adverse

The common mix up is interchanging "adverse" and "averse." Adverse is used to describe something bad or harmful like an "adverse reaction." Without the d, the word means against.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Cliché

Cliché is often used as adjective, which is incorrect. A person, place or thing can't be described as cliché because it's actually a noun.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Complement

Don't go fishing for complements because you'd be using the word wrong. Spelled with an e instead of an i in the middle, it means to complete or make perfect.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Decimate

You've probably heard decimate used in the context of something getting destroyed. Put that out of your mind. The true definition is to reduce something by one tenth.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Disinterested

Telling someone you're disinterested doesn't mean you don't care. In that case, you'd say uninterested. Disinterested means you don't have a stake or claim in the matter at all.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Effect

The simplest way to remember this one is that effect is a noun (ex: a special effect). Affect is the verb.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Enormity

Enormity doesn't mean huge or enormous. It means extremely evil.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Except

Except and accept are often switched up. With an ex the word means excluding.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Farther

Farther and further is tricky. Further is used to convey a degree of an action or a situation, whereas farther is used in relation to distance. You travel farther, but you have nothing further to discuss.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Fewer

This one might be the most confusing of the bunch. The difference between fewer and less is that fewer should refer to individual items (like fewer shirts in a drawer). Less is used to describe the amount or volume of something.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Hone

You've probably heard or used the expression hone in to mean getting to the point of an argument or finding a location. That's incorrect. Hone means to sharpen.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Hung

An object is hung on a wall. A person gets hanged.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Inflammable

Inflammable doesn't mean something is not flammable. It's a synonym for flammable meaning easily set on fire.

PHOTO: Good Housekeeping

Literally

This is a popular one. Literally should be used when the words that follow truly happened. If you literally died reading that, you would be dead.

Grammar can be a tricky thing. Even some of the most commonly used words get lost in translation from time to time. We've compiled some of the most frequently misused words to provide a little crash course for people who haven't sat in a classroom in a while.